Experts Answer to Oral History Questions

100 Questions/48

What is the researchers duty towards the narrators confidential (security-political) information?

Machine Translation Edited by Mandana Karimi

2026-9-21

We asked several researchers and activists in the field of oral history to express their views on oral history questions. The names of each participant are listed at the beginning of their answers, and the text of all answers will be published on this portal by the end of the week. The goal of this project is to open new doors to an issue and promote scientific discussions in the field of oral history.

In this project, a question is asked every Saturday, and we ask experts to present their views in the form of a short text (about 100 words) by the end of the week. All answers will be published together so that the audience can compare and analyze the views. The content is the opinions of the senders and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Oral History website. Although the answers are supposed to be about 100 words, in order to be polite and not to leave the discussion incomplete, in some cases, more than this number of answers are also accepted.

This time, we asked the experts to send their answers by Sunday night so that all the answers can be published on Tuesday.

From the intertwining of these answers, using artificial intelligence, we have arrived at theories about oral history that will be published in the near future.

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Question 48

What is the researcher's duty towards the narrator's confidential (security-political) information?

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Answers to Question 48:

Gholamreza Azari Khakestar

Confidential information is an important part of oral history that may be revealed by narrators either intentionally or unintentionally. Sometimes the narrator simply shares information with the interviewer after the interview is over, without recording it, and sometimes this information is recorded during the interview. In both cases, the interviewer is obligated to maintain the confidentiality of the narrator, as publishing this information may have legal and social consequences. Therefore, the researcher must properly preserve and protect confidential information and refrain from publishing or making it available without the narrator's permission.

Abolfat’h Mo’men

In oral history, before beginning the interview, the historian reaches understandings with the narrator about certain issues and makes agreements that may be written and signed by both parties. After establishing this trust, the narrator narrates their confidential data, which for some reason is to be published in a specific time and place. However, the researcher is obliged to keep the narrator's confidential information confidential for three reasons: first, the requirement of research ethics; second, the commitment to the memorandum of understanding and contract with the narrator; third, the prevention of political, social, and cultural consequences. Therefore, respecting the confidentiality of confidential data is one of the fundamental principles of the researcher towards the narrator.

Hassan Beheshtipour

The oral history researcher is neither the owner of the narrator's information nor merely its recorder; they are the trustee of a narrative, responsible for preserving the memories of individuals, the assessor of the credibility of the narrative, and the intermediary in transmitting a document to the future. When faced with confidential information, the narrator's security should not be ignored under the pretext of historical truth. Nor should historical truth be set aside because of the confidentiality of the narrative. The researcher's task is to find a way to simultaneously maintain the security, ethics, law, and historical integrity of the document. Like a tightrope walker who walks on a tightrope at the height of oral history, they must strike the necessary balance between confidential information and the narrator's security with a balancing stick.

Mohammad Mehdi Abdolahzade

When the interviewee, in order to trust the interviewer or to be recorded in history, brings up private personal and family information about themselves and others, or confidential security and political matters, in the meeting and implicitly or explicitly refers to its confidentiality, the interviewer's ethical and research duty is not to publish it or make it available to others without the narrator's permission or compliance with the conditions he has set for publishing this type of data; even if their idea is that publishing it is a statement of important historical facts that sheds light on the hidden layers of events.

Abolfazl Hassanabadi

The confidential, security, and political information that the narrator reveals in an oral history interview is one of the most serious ethical and professional situations for the researcher, because the researcher is neither the owner of this information nor its sole custodian. They must be able to strike a balance between the narrator's rights, the right to research, the public interest, and legal and regulatory requirements, while taking into account the narrator's informed consent, maintaining confidentiality, and preventing harm to them. The researcher can accomplish this by observing the requirements set by the interviewee at different stages of archiving and research in oral history.

Seyyed Mohammad Sadegh Feyz

Such cases are subject to national laws and regulations. In addition, it also has a national dimension. It is not possible to publish confidential information simply by obtaining it, even from the highest political or military official. Because current laws hold everyone responsible for its disclosure. Confidential secrets must be kept secret until the ban is lifted and they can only be published with legal permission.

Hamid Ghazvini

Confidential information falls into two categories: first, information classified as confidential, the receipt, preservation, and dissemination of which is subject to the instructions or consent of the relevant authorities; second, information that the narrator considers confidential. In both cases, the researcher must obtain the narrator's consent to record and receive the information and accept responsibility for its preservation. If the project has a legal or organizational sponsor, the researcher is required to inform the archives department in writing of the classification of the interview file so that they can exercise caution when storing it. Also, since confidential information may become declassified and normal after a period of time, the researcher should not fail to receive and record it.

Artificial Intelligence

The researcher has three responsibilities with respect to the narrator’s confidential security-political information: first, to maintain confidentiality and not to disclose the identity and data without informed consent; second, to assess the potential risks to the narrator and others and take protective measures; third, to clarify the limits of confidentiality before the interview and to adhere to the legal and ethical framework of the research. In cases of serious threats to public security, the researcher should consult with responsible institutions, but disclosure should be made only to the extent necessary and with the least possible harm. A commitment to scientific impartiality and to refrain from using the information for political purposes is also essential. (DeepSeek)

The researcher’s duty with respect to the narrator’s confidential security-political information is to maintain complete confidentiality and protect their identity and security. The researcher should use the information only within the framework of the research purpose and in compliance with ethical and professional principles, and avoid publishing, disclosing, or transferring it to unauthorized individuals and institutions. It is also necessary to clarify the limits of confidentiality and the manner in which the data will be used with the narrator before collecting information, and to obtain their informed consent. The researcher has fundamental responsibilities in maintaining the security of documents, restricting access, removing identifying information, and preventing any action that may have security, political, social, or personal consequences for the narrator. (ChatGPT)

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